Home With You
by winninghearts
Summary: It's been three months too long. Irosami, futurefic.


"I must insist, Princess. We are under orders from the Firelord herself. We are not to allow you to leave without an esco-"

"Then I guess you didn't see me leave, did you?" Asami raised a challenging eyebrow as she turned the key in the ignition, bringing to car to life. The guard hesitated, then gave a deep bow before walking away. In the back, Rizu gave a little whoop at the victory. Asami flashed a smile at her son before she drove the car out into the sunshine. The road leading from the palace was a little rough, but once she hit the smoother, paved road she leaned back with a sigh of relief.

"I thought he wasn't gonna let us go!" Rizu said, next to her ear.

"Sit back and put your seatbelt on," Asami said, and the small boy slumped back with a sigh and pulled the strap over his chest. She heard a click, and then Asami let herself wind in her hair reminded her of just how long it had been since she had been out like this, driving on her own with no one fretting over her or waiting for her or telling her to be back within a certain amount of time. Asami had sacrificed more than she had ever planned to for love, but it had been for the love of a good man. An honest man. Most of the time, it did not bother her.

When she was being fretted over and tended to like a humming-dove with a broken wing, however, it _did_ bother her. Asami knew that she could take care of herself, and Iroh knew, but it seemed like someone had forgotten to inform every servant in the palace. She had made a choice to marry the prince of the Fire Nation, but she was still Asami Sato. She still liked to do things that Asami Sato enjoyed.

And that included driving. She had been behind the wheel in one way or another since before she could read. She was born into smoke and exhaust and engines and metal. When Asami had been small, very small, she was jealous of benders like her nanny, the waterbender, or her friend Yima, an earthbender. The first time her father had sat her on his lap and let her place hands on the steering wheel, however, that jealousy had evaporated forever. Asami had always envisioned that benders felt connected in the same way to their elements that she did to a Satomobile. When it was just her on the road, goggles on and wind whipping through her hair, it almost felt like the car was an extension of her own body.

There was a road that followed the coast that would lead them to their destination. The ocean stretched out endlessly beside them, and Rizu pointed out the zebra seals that jumped and splashed, following the line of the road until finally they were out of sight.

The sun was setting when they finally reached the harbor. Once parked, Asami climbed into the backseat with her son, reaching into the satchel she brought and pulling out an orange. She peeled one for him as he leaned on her, eyes drowsy from missing his afternoon nap. He ate each section he handed her through half-sleep, and by the time he had fully dozed off against her chest, his face and hands were too sticky with juice to even bother trying to wipe off with her dry handkerchief. One piece remained, and she put it in her mouth as she stroked Rizu's hair. She let her own eyes flutter, then shut, and they slept beside each other.

It was night when she opened her eyes, but Asami's eyes were instantly drawn to the lights of the harbor, where a large ship was now docked. There were probably about ten to fifteen people milling about the pier, but she could make out a tall, broad-shouldered figure that she would recognize anywhere.

Her husband was standing on the dock.

She shook Rizu's shoulder, kissing his forehead and whispering, "Wake up, sweetie," in his ear. He blinked a few times before he spotted the ship, too, and then he was off running. Asami followed, worrying needlessly that he might trip and fall into the water in his sluggish, post-nap state. She called out after him to slow down, but it he hadn't seen his father in months and she doubted there was anything she could do to make him going anything less than as fast as his feet could carry him.

"Daddy!" Rizu shouted out, feet slapping against the wooden planks. Iroh turned and instantly swept the small body into his arms as it slammed into him. They hugged each other tightly, then Iroh set his son back down.

"Look what I can do," Rizu said, thrusting out his arms. In his palms, a small flame appeared, flickering in the dark for a moment before going out. He smiled up proudly and was greeted with another crushing hug.

"My little firebender!" Iroh said, ruffling his hair. "I'm so proud of you. When did that happen?"

"A month ago," Asami said, stepping forward. "He made me promise up and down not to tell you, because he wanted to show you himself."

Iroh straightened up when he saw her, but his facial expression softened even more than when he had laid eyes on his son. "Asami."

A beat didn't even pass before she was throwing herself toward him, slinging her arms around his neck and pulling him into a long kiss. It had been three long months since she had last seen him. He was here now, though. He was here in her arms. Asami ran a hand over his strong jaw, kissed the hollow of his neck, then rested her head against his chest. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you're back," she said, making fistfuls of his shirt and taking in deep breaths of his scent.

"We live in relative peacetime. I was in no real danger."

"Until you are right here with me," Asami said. "You are not safe in my mind."

He kissed her head with a smile and put a hand on the curve of her stomach. "And how is our little one doing?"

"Well," Asami said. "All of the midwives say I am growing right on schedule." Her face soured a bit. "I am tired of everyone ordering me around, though. I'm four months, and I think I know my own limits. They didn't even want me driving out here to meet you tonight. One of the guards said _your mother_ ordered that we not be let out of the palace without an escort."

"They just worry about you and the baby, and Rizu. The country is at peace, but that doesn't mean that people of high royal status aren't always at some risk for attack or capture."

"We were traveling incognito," Asami said. "Plain car, plain clothes." She ran a hand through her loose black hair. "No royal insignias stuck into topknots. We were _fine_, Iroh. Please tell me that you at least know that I can take care of myself and Rizu."

"Safe, I know. Don't think I've forgotten about the girl with the electric glove and the killer right hook that pretty much saved my life six years ago." He put a hand on her shoulder, stroking the bottom of her chin with his thumb. "But incognito? With your driving? I don't think you were fooling anyone, Asami." He circled both arms around her, and Rizu stuck himself in between. "I'll tell them to back off."

Asami tucked her head under his chin, drowning in the feel of his touch. She had sacrificed much for love, it was true. She had left the only home she had ever known behind for a new nation with countless expectations of her. It should have been a difficult choice, but somehow, it had been the easiest one she had ever made. With family she knew she would always be able to depend on and trust, finally, home was there.


End file.
